Mt. Carmel is not so much a mount, as it is a ridge coming up from the shores of the Mediterranean in the Haifa Bay, inward into the Jezreel Valley. It is more like a gentle mesa than a hill. We visited the Carmelite Monastery located there, and from the roof top of the monastery we were able to see the Mediterranean Sea, the Jezreel Valley, the Galilean hills, and the foothills of Mt. Hermon, just to name a few sites. It was amazing to imagine Elijah on this place, defeating demonic forces with prayer, praise and sacrifice.
In Rabbinic tradition Elijah’s life is summarized in the word “fire”! Elijah called down fire from heaven to earth and in a chariot of fire he left earth for Heaven.
On this place our group prayed and worshipped and prophetic words were spoken; no balls of fire…no heavenly chariots…no dramatic defeat of satan, just worship and praise. Oh, sweet worship and a united spirit were present that moment! As I think back on that moment I am both touched with nostalgia for the moment and also with a question in my mind: did our prayer and worship make a difference? Then God reminded me…we were faithful…just like the prophets that didn’t kneel down to Jezebel and Ahab were counted as faithful, so we were simply faithful. We went to Israel to pray for the land and people; not to call down fire, stop or start rain, nor to tuck our robes in our belt and run down to Jezreel as Elijah did. Faithfulness, obedience for the moment and God did the rest.
Dear God, help me to obey. Help me to keep it simple and just obey you.
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